Christmas

Sometimes it seems that the excitement and anticipation that builds around Christmas gifts can be even better than the presents themselves, especially for kids! My husband and I have many little nieces and nephews who already can’t wait for Christmas morning, a feeling I’m sure our new baby will share when he’s old enough to know who Santa Claus is.

Writing a letter to Santa was always a big part of the holiday build-up in my house. Sometimes the list would be endless (much to my parents’ chagrin!). Other times it would only include one super-special item…you know, something totally unattainable like a pony or a puppy, causing my parents to raise their eyebrows even more than they did the Christmas before! Regardless of whether or not my Christmas wishes were fulfilled by Santa, it was always fun to participate in the age old traditions surrounding the annual wait for his arrival on Christmas Eve.
...read more

A major holiday is on the horizon…no, I’m not talking about Thanksgiving. I’m talking about what comes after the turkey and family time – Cyber Monday! For the inexperienced, Cyber Monday is one of the biggest shopping days of the year for online retailers and a day when you can score some great deals online. Basically it’s the Black Friday of the online retail world.

As a mom with two young children, I look forward to decorating for each holiday season, but a tight budget and limited free time calls for creative measures. This Thanksgiving I wanted to take an old mirror and dress it up for the holiday in a way that would create a personal touch for our home decor while also helping to teach my children the importance of the holiday. 

The holidays are fast approaching and we wanted to give you a heads-up on how to take some of the hassle out of this holiday season. When traveling to visit family this Thanksgiving, avoid the seemingly endless lines at the airport by “checking your bags” at FedEx Office^®. Not only can you fly past the ticket counter straight to security, but your luggage will be waiting for you at mom’s house or the hotel when you arrive at your destination.   ...read more

I am always looking for new ways to show my clients, colleagues and important contacts that I appreciate them, especially around the holidays. Holiday greeting cards are ideal for small business owners because they are easy to create, inexpensive to send, and can be a great way to solidify your brand. And FedEx Office^® provides everything you need to create the perfect holiday greeting card.

Sometimes it’s the small stuff that makes a big difference in your day. Shave a minute off a task here, another minute there and suddenly you have time to get to the things you really want – like spending time with your family or sitting down with that book you’ve been meaning to start. The “small stuff” time saver I’ve added to my routine lately really is small in size. It’s a rubber stamp I had personalized with my address so I could speed up the process of getting my mail out the door each week, and I think it will come in very handy in a few weeks when I start sending out dozens of holiday greeting cards!  

 

If you’ve walked into a store lately, it certainly feels like the holidays are right around the corner – and this year’s promotions are in full swing. It seems like the ads for special seasonal offerings and the hottest toys start earlier and earlier each year. There are even entire days dedicated to saving money on holiday items – Black Friday and Cyber Monday! But how do small businesses stand out from the crowd during the holidays, especially with so much big competition? ...read more

Video: 

custom-notepad.mp4

By now, most of you have probably realized that I really enjoy creating personalized things for myself and others (see my previous posts on personalized sticky notes, custom banners and branded pens). One reason for this is that it’s nice to know that no one will have the same thing that I do. An added bonus is that it’s fun to see my designs turn out just the way I envisioned. ...read more

 We finally made it to the end of 2010, and the holidays have me beat! But the new year has just begun and it’s time for the annual new year’s resolution tradition.

Last year I talked about my resolution idea to keep daily schedules more organized – keeping an agenda that tracked all my on-the-job and after-hours activities. For 2011, I’m sticking with that theme but turning my focus to an organized home.

Every year, I find myself rushing to the store on my way to a holiday party to pick up a bottle of wine or flowers for the host or hostess. This year, I decided to make a personalized, cost-effective hostess gift that can be created months, or even a day in advance of an event. 

For 2010, I created holiday candy jars with personalized labels for just under $10 each (and in some cases, that’s less than flowers, or a bottle of wine!). Making the jars is fun and you can get your creative juices flowing if you allow time to sit down and enjoy the process. I knew I would be going to a couple holiday get-togethers, so I purchased enough supplies to make five jars and headed to my local FedEx Office to print the labels. This eliminated multiple (and last-minute!) trips to craft and grocery stores.

Step One: Find the right jars  ...read more